Quick answer: The first-ever BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise is being held from 30 October to 3 November 2026. The host is the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), and all seven BIMSTEC members are taking part. It is the grouping’s first joint maritime security drill in the Bay of Bengal.
Why the BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise is in the news
The Ministry of Defence said in a PIB release on 31 October 2026 that the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise runs from 30 October to 3 November 2026. It brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The ANC, India’s first integrated tri-service command, is the host, and the drill began at Sri Vijaya Puram on 30 October. A regional news report quoting the ANC said the navies of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand were sending assets. Bhutan and Nepal, which are landlocked but depend on Bay of Bengal ports for trade, were sending representatives.
Key facts about the exercise
- Edition: First (inaugural).
- Host: Andaman and Nicobar Command, at Sri Vijaya Puram.
- Dates: 30 October to 3 November 2026, according to PIB.
- Motto: “Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity”. The tagline is “Translating Vision to Action”.
- Structure: A harbour phase for professional exchanges and planning, followed by a sea phase for interoperability drills.
- Focus areas: Maritime domain awareness (MDA), coordination between navies, HADR, cross-border maritime crime, and response to oil and chemical spills.
- Background: The exercise builds on the 6th BIMSTEC Summit (Bangkok, 2-4 April 2025), whose theme was “BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open”. The BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation was signed at that summit.
- Earlier BIMSTEC drills: The first BIMSTEC military field exercise, MILEX-18, was held in Pune in September 2018. Four editions of the BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise have also been held.
BIMSTEC: the seven members
BIMSTEC stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It was founded through the Bangkok Declaration of 6 June 1997 as BIST-EC. Its permanent Secretariat in Dhaka opened in 2014.
| Member | Sub-region | Joined | Lead sector (after 2022 restructuring) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | South Asia | 1997 (founder) | Trade, Investment and Development |
| India | South Asia | 1997 (founder) | Security and Energy |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | 1997 (founder) | Science, Technology and Innovation |
| Thailand | South-East Asia | 1997 (founder) | Connectivity |
| Myanmar | South-East Asia | 22 December 1997 | Agriculture and Food Security |
| Nepal | South Asia | February 2004 | People-to-People Contact |
| Bhutan | South Asia | February 2004 | Environment and Climate Change |
- The name changed from BIST-EC to BIMST-EC when Myanmar joined. It became BIMSTEC at the first summit on 31 July 2004.
- At the 2022 Colombo summit, the 14 sectors of cooperation were cut down to 7.
- The chair rotates in alphabetical order. Bangladesh took over as chair in 2025. The Secretary General is India’s Indra Mani Pandey, in office since 2024.
BIMSTEC vs SAARC
| Point | BIMSTEC | SAARC |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 6 June 1997, Bangkok Declaration | 8 December 1985, SAARC Charter signed in Dhaka |
| Members | 7 (5 South Asian, 2 South-East Asian) | 8 (all South Asian; Afghanistan joined in 2007) |
| Secretariat | Dhaka, Bangladesh | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Pakistan | Not a member | Member |
| Geographic link | Countries around the Bay of Bengal; a bridge between South and South-East Asia | South Asia only |
For India, the Bay of Bengal is the sea link between South Asia and South-East Asia. A large share of regional trade and energy passes through it, which is why maritime cooperation is a priority for BIMSTEC.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Expect questions on BIMSTEC members, especially which member is not in SAARC (Myanmar, Thailand) or which SAARC member is not in BIMSTEC (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives).
- Secretariat pairs such as BIMSTEC-Dhaka and SAARC-Kathmandu make easy matching questions.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Command as India’s first integrated tri-service command is a frequent defence-GK fact.
- The renaming of Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram and the strategic sea lanes of the Bay of Bengal connect this news to Indian geography.
Practice MCQs
Q1. The inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise (2026) was hosted by:
(a) Eastern Naval Command (b) Andaman and Nicobar Command (c) Southern Naval Command (d) Western Naval Command
Answer: (b) – The ANC hosted it at Sri Vijaya Puram.
Q2. The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in:
(a) Bangkok (b) Kathmandu (c) Dhaka (d) Colombo
Answer: (c) – Dhaka; Kathmandu hosts the SAARC Secretariat.
Q3. Which of the following is a member of BIMSTEC but not of SAARC?
(a) Bhutan (b) Nepal (c) Myanmar (d) Sri Lanka
Answer: (c) – Myanmar and Thailand are the two South-East Asian members.
Q4. BIMSTEC was established through the Bangkok Declaration in:
(a) 1985 (b) 1997 (c) 2004 (d) 2014
Answer: (b) – It was founded on 6 June 1997. It took its present name in 2004, and the Secretariat opened in 2014.
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise being held?
From 30 October to 3 November 2026. The host is the Andaman and Nicobar Command at Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Which countries are taking part?
All seven BIMSTEC members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
What is the motto of the exercise?
“Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity”, with the tagline “Translating Vision to Action”.
Where is the BIMSTEC Secretariat?
In Dhaka, Bangladesh. It opened in 2014.
How is BIMSTEC different from SAARC?
BIMSTEC has 7 members around the Bay of Bengal, including Myanmar and Thailand, and its Secretariat is in Dhaka. SAARC has 8 South Asian members, including Pakistan, and its Secretariat is in Kathmandu.
Also read on NCA: ASEAN Summit 2025: members and key facts | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | CAPF coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: PIB (MoD), 31 Oct 2026, OdishaBytes, 30 Oct 2026, Wikipedia: BIMSTEC, BIMSTEC Secretariat. Facts as reported up to 2 November 2026.
Featured image background (representative): Joshua Issac / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
